Taking Over

While watching the "Second Skin" documentary clips, I sat in awe at the severity of these peoples' video game addictions. I never knew that some people were in that deep...maybe too deep. The part of the video that sparked my interest was about Dan from Philadelphia. Dan stated that he had a thriving business until he purchased World of Warcraft. He started to play the game 12-14 hours a day. Because of constantly playing this game, he lost his job, friends, a good body, etc. To me, losing your job over a video game is rediculous. In a way though, I am starting to think that maybe video game addiction could actually be considered an illness. The video quotes, "These computers on our desks are turning into portals to other realms of existence... realms that will one day be preferred to Earth." - Edward Castronova, Synthetic Worlds. People are actually making their minds believe that the video game world they are participating in is a world they can actually kind of "live" in.

I feel as though some people just strive to be accepted in life. People are always judged as "cool, weird, pretty, ugly", etc...but what really makes someone "weird" or "pretty" or "ugly"? We all have different perceptions of these words. I think that out casted individuals feel better "pretending" because then they are accepted no matter what they look like or what they think. Playing video games is their outlet to actually be themselves and to not be judged by other people. It kind of shows how judgmental our world really is when people would rather be living in a fantasy land than the real world.

In Culture Jam, a quote that struck me was on page 71. Kalle Lasn says, " We, the people, have lost control." I think that you can take this quote many different ways. In a way, we have lost control in that corporations are now having more power than we do. "We've spent so much time bowed down in deference, we've forgotten hot to stand up straight." There are many things that we cannot control. The mind is a powerful tool, and once the right person knows how to manipulate it, we are in big trouble.

Our world is full of mass media, from television to computers to newspapers. What would we do without them?? I've always wondered that question. In all honesty, what would the world be like without cell phones or papers or satellites. It would definitely be interesting since it would be completely different than what we are accustomed to.

The following video has no audio but it definitely says a lot:

All About Me :)

Hi everybody!!!

My name is Katie Trego. I am 21 years old and originally from Chambersburg, PA. I currently live in Shippensburg, PA with my fiance and our puppy Xander.

I love motorcycles and have my license as well as my own motorcycle, a 2007 Yamaha R6. Yes, it's a crotch rocket, and I love it! I also enjoy singing and have been singing solos and participating in musicals since the 6th grade. Dancing is another one of my favorite hobbies. I was a dancer for 9 years and loved putting on recitals. Since I've turned 21, I also enjoy going out with my friends and just having a fun time!

At Shippensburg University, I am currently a junior majoring in Biology directed towards a medical degree. I haven't decided if I want to continue school to become an RN,  a PA (physician's assistant), or a NP (nurse practitioner). There are so many different pathways, and I haven't decided which one to go onto yet. I'm very excited to see where I can go in the medical field!

I was interested in taking this class because I've never been that good at understanding literature or things that I've read. I believe that this class will help me to look further in depth into the books I am reading and that it will help me understand them more. I've always been an "okay" writer but I would like to become a stronger one. I believe that this class will help me with that aspect as well.

As for a favorite book, I believe mine would have to be I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. For my senior project in high school, I wrote a very large paper about this book. This is Maya Angelou's autobiography. It is just so interesting and intriguing. It is one of those books that you just don't want to put down.

For culture, I am interested in many types of music. I don't really watch movies often but I do listen to a lot of music. I love Latin music, pop, hip hop, techno, r&b, and some country. Different styles of music attract me depending on the mood that I am in. Latin music as well as hip hop music makes me want to dance and just have fun. I occasionally like those sappy love songs as well. I also play video games once in a while, but I eventually get bored with staring at a television screen.

When reading literature in the past, I've always had difficulty in fully understanding what I have read. If I'm not interested in the genre of what I'm reading or even the content, it is even more difficult for me to comprehend. I do like reading a good book once in a while, but lately I haven't really found time to or I just haven't made enough time to do so. As for my definition of literature, I believe that literature is a writer's expression in the form of words. They are trying to express emotion and characters of interest into words for others to experience. I believe that literature plays a key role in the world.

I am very excited to see how I grow through this class, and I can't wait to begin!